BajaNomad

Paved side roads

peterb - 5-30-2014 at 10:17 AM

Just got back from my 8th trip driving from Phoenix to Los Cabos and back in the past 3 years. I have noticed the past few times that a great many side roads to various coastal or mountain towns/points of interest are now being paved. Sorry if this is redundant, but is anyone keeping track of all these paving projects? I can't find an up to date list anywhere of what is now paved or partially paved and it would be very useful.

My most recent trip involved travel on the paved road to Gonzaga Bay south of San Felipe (and the much improved road to Laguna Chapala), the paved road to Bahia Asuncion, the passable but heavy washboard at times from Bahia Asuncion to Puerto Abreojos, the paved (but somewhat thrashed) road to Mision San Javier, the paved road out to Reforma Agraria I and II at KM 38 northwest of La Paz, Los Naranjos to the crest of the Sierra la Laguna (not paved but in okay shape except a few sections immediately west of the crest not passable in a regular car) and the fairly heavy washboard out along the East Cape, all in my 1998 Honda Civic.

The increased accessibility of some of these locales for a regular passenger car is pretty cool!

A couple specific questions: is the road to San Borja from Nuevo Rosarito reasonably doable in a passenger car? Is the road over the Sierra de la Giganta from outside San Javier to north of Insurgentes passable in a regular car?

This most recent trip (departed 5/3 and returned 5/20) the construction outside Insurgentes was really unpleasant, extremely dusty and slow. Heavy construction up from Insurgentes toward the Comondu turn off as well. Some delays south of Loreto as well.

peterb

shari - 5-30-2014 at 11:07 AM

dang...ya shoulda stopped in for a cool beverage Peter! We drive the road to San Borja without 4 wheel drive but you need pretty good clearance for all the rocks on the road and a good spare...I suggest airing down so you dont puncture a tire on the rocky road.

TMW - 5-30-2014 at 11:25 AM

We did the road to San Borja both ways and the the road from Insurgentes to San Javier in April. Shari is right no need for 4 wheeel drive but ground clearance is needed for some spots. Can you do it in your Civic? Maybe, for the first 15 miles or so from San Javier you'll cross the arroyo several times. It's a rocky bed, not big rocks mostly softball size+/- pushed down from traffic. Winter months there water in it. I think you would be much better off in a truck or SUV with clearance.

danaeb - 5-30-2014 at 12:09 PM

Paved road (almost all the way) to Conquista Agraria coast. Pristine beaches between Punta Marquez and Punta Coyote.

apple - 5-30-2014 at 01:09 PM

I'd love to see a single place with all the paved roads updates kept in one place!

BooJumMan - 5-30-2014 at 01:18 PM

Paved roads are no fun!!!

DENNIS - 5-30-2014 at 04:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BooJumMan
Paved roads are no fun!!!


Neither are busted springs.
I've become too old for dirt roads. They hurt my body.

peterb - 6-16-2014 at 12:19 PM

thanks for the replies all. I will make a list of all the paved side roads I found in the past few trips for roads that used to be dirt:

paved all the way from Punta Abreojos junction to Bahia Asuncion
paved to near San Francisco de la Sierra (but pretty rough when the pavement ends)
paved to Punta Chale
Paved to Conquista Agraria
paved but in bad shape and under repair to San javier
paved all the way to the observatory in Sierra San Pedro Martir

Funny you mention busted springs Dennis. The last trip took out my right front suspension somewhere, not sure where. I was able to hobble home with no change of plans, but there was a lot of wincing. :-)

peterb

David K - 6-16-2014 at 11:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by peterb
thanks for the replies all. I will make a list of all the paved side roads I found in the past few trips for roads that used to be dirt:

paved all the way from Punta Abreojos junction to Bahia Asuncion
paved to near San Francisco de la Sierra (but pretty rough when the pavement ends)
paved to Punta Chale
Paved to Conquista Agraria
paved but in bad shape and under repair to San javier
paved all the way to the observatory in Sierra San Pedro Martir

Funny you mention busted springs Dennis. The last trip took out my right front suspension somewhere, not sure where. I was able to hobble home with no change of plans, but there was a lot of wincing. :-)

peterb


I am a little confused by the first road description... Don't you mean 'Vizcaino' or 'Hwy. 1' (to Bahia Asuncion) instead of "Punta Abreojos junction to Bahia Asuncion"? Or did they suddenly pave the road along the coast between Abreojos and Asuncion?

There's also the paved road to San Ignacio Lagoon (as much of it that is paved), the paved road to the Tres Virenes geothermal plant and cabins between San Ignacio and Santa Rosalia, the paved road to San Jose Comondu and the paved road to San Juanico (Scorpion Bay)... Bye Bye Baja, a little more is lost to 'progress'!